Internet Speed Requirements Calculator
Buffering every evening, or paying for gigabit you never use? Tell us what your home does at its busiest moment, and you'll see the speed you really need and what your plan can handle.
At your busiest time
How many of each run at the same moment?
- 4K TV streams Netflix, YouTube or Disney+ in 4K
- HD video streams 1080p on a TV, laptop or tablet
- Video calls Zoom, Teams or FaceTime in HD
- Online games Console or PC multiplayer
- Cloud games GeForce NOW or Xbox Cloud Gaming
- Phones and laptops scrolling Browsing, social apps and short videos
- Music streams Spotify, Pandora or radio apps
- Security cameras Ring, Nest and similar at 1080p
- Live streams you broadcast Twitch or YouTube at 1080p
Speed to aim for
60Mbps download
14 Mbps upload
How this adds up
- 1 × 4k tv streams
- 20 Mbps / 0 Mbps up
- 2 × hd video streams
- 10 Mbps / 0 Mbps up
- 1 × video calls
- 3 Mbps / 3.8 Mbps up
- 1 × online games
- 4 Mbps / 1 Mbps up
- 4 × phones and laptops scrolling
- 10 Mbps / 2 Mbps up
- 1 × music streams
- 0.32 Mbps / 0 Mbps up
- 2 × security cameras
- 0 Mbps / 4 Mbps up
Check your plan or speed
Takes about 20 seconds and fills in your speed below. On Wi-Fi, it measures your Wi-Fi too.
Connecting...
0Mbps
Speeds can change through the day. ISP Watchdog tests around the clock on your PC and builds proof when you get less than you pay for. See ISP Watchdog
Test your speed, or enter your plan's speed from your bill, to see if it keeps up.
Checking for your Pro plan...
Pro Bill Cutter
Stop paying for speed you don't use
Compare what you pay now with up to 3 offers you can get, counting promo prices that end, router rental and setup fees. Bill Cutter picks the cheapest plan that still covers your home, then writes your call script.
Sample comparison
Fiber 300 saves about $615 a year
Over 24 months it costs $1,320, against $2,550 for your plan now.
About your plan now
- Your price goes up by $30 a month in 3 months. That's $360 more a year if nothing changes.
- You pay for 1 Gbps, but about 60 Mbps covers your busiest time. A slower plan from the same provider may cost less.
- You pay $15 a month in fees, or $180 a year. If that's equipment rental, ask if you can use your own modem or router.
Your call script
- Before you call
Have your account number and this page ready. Call your provider's customer service line, or use its chat.
- Open with your numbers
"Hi, I'd like to lower my internet bill. I pay $65 a month for 1 Gbps, plus $15 a month in fees. In 3 months it goes up to $95. I've found Fiber 300 with 300 Mbps for $45 a month for 12 months, then $65. I'd rather stay with you, so can you match that, or get me close to $45 a month? I only need about 60 Mbps down and 14 Mbps up, so a slower plan is fine."
Cut your own bill with Computer Info Bits Pro
- Your plan now against up to 3 offers, over 12, 24 or 36 months
- Promo prices that end, monthly fees and setup fees all counted
- Only plans fast enough for your home can win
- A call script and a chat message with your own numbers
- A calendar reminder before your promo price ends
- Share links and a printable report
Computer Info Bits Pro
Every Pro feature, on our site and in our Windows apps.
$10 per month
Billed every month. Cancel anytime.
$70 per year
Billed once a year. The same as 7 months.
Prices are in US dollars, plus sales tax where it applies. Cancel anytime. You keep access until the end of the period you've paid for. Payments are not refunded for unused time. Your receipt and license key arrive by email.
Speed Each Activity Uses
Every stream, call and game takes its own slice of your connection. These are the speeds each service asks for, for one stream at a time.
| Activity | Download | Upload | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4K video | 15 to 20 Mbps | Very little | Netflix, YouTube |
| HD video (1080p) | 5 Mbps | Very little | Netflix |
| HD video call | 3 Mbps | 3.8 Mbps | Zoom |
| Online multiplayer | 4 Mbps | Very little | FCC |
| Cloud gaming, 1080p | 25 Mbps | Very little | NVIDIA |
| Cloud gaming, 4K | 40 Mbps | Very little | NVIDIA |
| Music | 0.32 Mbps | None | Spotify |
| Security camera | Very little | 2 Mbps | Ring |
| 2K security camera | Very little | 10 Mbps | Ring |
| Live streaming, 1080p | Very little | About 8 Mbps | Twitch |
When two services differ, the calculator uses the higher number so it never comes up short. Music uses Spotify's Very high setting, and lossless audio takes more.
Each phone or laptop that's scrolling counts as 2.5 Mbps. Social apps play video on their own, and that's what YouTube asks for at 720p.
How Many Devices Can Your Speed Handle?
The number of connected devices matters less than what they do at the same moment. A smart plug barely touches your connection, while one 4K movie can take 20 Mbps.
This table shows how many of each activity a plan can run on its own, with 25% kept spare. Mix them, and the calculator above does the adding up.
| Plan speed | 4K streams | HD streams | Video calls | Online games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 25 Mbps | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| 35 Mbps | 1 | 5 | 9 | 7 |
| 50 Mbps | 2 | 8 | 13 | 10 |
| 100 Mbps | 4 | 16 | 26 | 20 |
| 200 Mbps | 8 | 32 | 53 | 40 |
| 300 Mbps | 12 | 48 | 80 | 60 |
| 500 Mbps | 20 | 80 | 133 | 100 |
| 1 Gbps | 40 | 160 | 266 | 200 |
The call column counts download only. Each HD call also sends about 3.8 Mbps, so on a plan with slow upload, calls run out of room much sooner.
Why Upload Speed Matters
Upload is the speed for sending. Video calls send your camera, security cameras send video all day, and cloud backups send your files.
Many plans upload far slower than they download. The FCC set its home broadband benchmark at 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up, which is a fair floor for a busy home with calls and cameras.
Getting Less Speed Than You Pay For?
Run the speed test above with a cable plugged into your router first, then on Wi-Fi in the room you use most. Each test takes about 20 seconds.
If the wired test is fine but Wi-Fi is slow, the router or where it sits is the problem, not your plan. If the wired test is slow too, and it gets worse in the evening, the slowdown is on your provider's side.
Paying for More Speed Than You Use?
Many plans start with an intro price that rises later. In the US, providers must post a broadband facts label for each plan, with the intro price, how long it lasts, what it rises to and any monthly fees.
Put your plan next to offers you can get in the Bill Cutter tab. It adds up every fee over two years, picks the cheapest plan that still covers your home and writes your call script.
Gaming Needs Low Ping More Than Speed
Online games use little speed, but every delay shows up as lag. For its cloud gaming, NVIDIA asks for under 80 ms of ping and recommends under 40 ms.
A wired connection gives the steadiest ping. If the lag comes from your PC rather than your internet, the FPS calculator shows what your parts should manage, and the game requirements checker tells you if a game will run at all.
